larry king retirement

It was like looking into a mirror -- a mirror of journalistic awesomeness. On the final episode of 'Larry King Live' (weeknights, 9PM ET on CNN), Larry welcomed a parade of special guests, including former President Bill Clinton, Tony Bennett, Regis Philbin, and Arnold Schwarzenegger -- all of whom paid their respects to the host, as he ended his CNN talk show after 25 years on the air.

But perhaps the most "special" guest was ... Mr. Larry King himself (played by comedian Fred Armisen). Fake "Larry" interviewed real Larry, and asked the host some probing but severely odd questions, including, "Now, Larry, what's been my favorite interview?" and "What's the most interesting thing about me?"

Real Larry also complimented fake "Larry" on his outfit -- which, of course, included his trademark glasses and some brightly colored suspenders.

Larry said that if he hadn't fallen into the world of TV and radio, he would have become a stand-up comedian. (Which is a dream he still has, by the way.) Mr. King expressed respect for the difficult task of being a stand-up comic. He added that when you step on a stage as a comedian, no one can help you: "There's the audience and there's you -- and they're saying 'Make me laugh.'"

Now that Larry King is retiring as a talk show host, he's mulling over his prospects. He's even considering a new job -- as a stand-up comic. Seriously. "I'm funny," he said in a recent interview. "I'm going to do stand up."

But sometimes, if you're going to prepare for the future, you need to look back into the past. On 'Jimmy Kimmel Live' (weeknights, 12AM ET on ABC), King told a story which took place more than five decades ago -- when he was a 23-year-old.

At the time, Larry was a radio D.J. who had just moved to Miami. King had never been to glamorous Palm Beach, so he drove there one Sunday morning -- but then got distracted by the scenery. He took his attention off the road, and promptly rammed into a convertible driven by ... Senator John F. Kennedy.

After Monday night's disastrous launch of Eliot Spitzer's new show, 'Parker-Spitzer,' CNN is keener than ever to boost ratings. Will Piers Morgan be the tonic the ailing news channel needs when he takes over from Larry King in January?

In an interview with Deadline.com, Morgan says that although the production team hasn't been finalized yet, and no guests have actually signed on the dotted line, his chums Simon Cowell and Donald Trump have already told him they'll come on and be interviewed.

Morgan's plan is to revitalize CNN's somewhat moribund early evening lineup, by bringing his own flair to the talk show: "I'm not just going to be another man sitting in the CNN studio wearing red braces" (that's suspenders to his U.S. audience).

Fallon took a break from hosting 'Late Night' and appeared on 'Larry King Live' (weeknights, 9PM ET on CNN). While he was on the show, he demonstrated a pitch-perfect ability to imitate Mr. King, indicating -- to us, at least -- that he could fill Larry's shoes if necessary. Wearing Larry's trademark suspenders, he acted as the "replacement" host of the show, and showed an uncanny ability to switch between different voices in 0.5 seconds.

Elizabeth has been fighting a much publicized battle against breast cancer. And famously, her husband John cheated on her with another woman, leading to their pending divorce. While talking with Larry, Elizabeth discussed her struggles with the disease -- and what it felt like to no longer have a man in her life.

Larry asked Edwards about the topic of "affection." Elizabeth had this to say: "That does make sad, to think that I may live out the rest of my days ... without someone ... holding me."